Carl H. Claudy

masonic author, 20th century, Carl Claudy
Carl Claudy

Raised to a Master Mason in 1908, at Harmony Lodge No. 17 in Washington, DC, Carl H. Claudy  served as the Master and eventually as Grand Master of Masons in 1943. He served as the executive secretary of the Masonic Service Association in 1929 holding the position until his death in 1957 claiming authorship of nearly 350 Short Talk Bulletins.

The MSANA says of the plays:

[They] are not merely a means by which a lodge may entertain, but attempt to satisfy a desire to understand the inner content of Freemasonry. They accomplish this purpose by drawing aside the veils of ritual, allegory and symbol that the truth behind may shine through.

Books by Carl Claudy:

And a number of Masonic plays:

  • The Greatest of These
  • He That Believeth
  • Greater Love Hath No Man
  • Judge Not!
  • The Hearts of the Fathers
  • …To Entertain Strangers
  • A Gift in Secret
  • Treasures of Darkness
  • He Which is Accused
  • If a Man Die…
  • And Not Forsake Them
  • He Which is Accused
  • A Rose Upon the Altar

Interview: Author Michael Schiavello

Phoenixmasonry Live! interviews world-renowned sports commentator and Masonic author, Michael Schiavello on his new book Know Thyself: Using the Symbols of Freemasonry to Improve Your Life.

There are some interviewees that make life difficult for you. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth to get them to open up and expound on a question.

Michael Schiavello, an experienced broadcaster, writer and author is not one of those. When you ask him a question he takes off and runs with.

Here is an author who has blended the esoteric thought of Freemasonry with the practical application of its philosophy. Schiavello reminds me a lot of Dr. John Nagy with his Life Application and his questions at the end of each chapter. Nagy, however, writes strictly for Freemasons while Schiavello writes for Masons and non-Masons alike. And that is what makes this book so universal. It deals with universal truths time proven from Masters of ancient times to the current age. Freemasonry is a way of life. And Schiavello writes a primer on how to live the noble life. He urges us and shows us how to pay equal attention to our spiritual side as well as our earthly side. He promotes a life of Balance.

Michael Schiavello
Michael Schiavello

Freemasonry makes good men better and this is one of the few books that will actually show you how that can be done using the symbolism of the Craft. This is not only a must book for Freemasons it is a handbook for anybody and everybody, Mason and non-Mason alike. There is no doubt in my mind that Know Thyself: Using the Symbols of Freemasonry to Improve Your Life will become a classic standing tall with the works of Wayne Dywer, Mitch Albom.  Scott Peck and Neale Donald Walsch.

You can find Know Thyself: Using the Symbols of Freemasonry to Improve Your Life, on Amazon.

A Handbook for the Freemason’s Wife

A Handbook for the Freemason's Wife
A Handbook for the Freemason’s Wife

Seldom does a diminutive book deliver on the promise that it makes.  More often than not, the reader is left wanting more.  But this time, that’s not the case, and the A Handbook for The Freemason’s Wife delivers exactly the right dose of information to answer almost every question that the spouse or partner of a Mason, or Mason to be, could imagine to ask.

Packed into a slim journal, the guide is one part Q&A, another part encyclopedia, and a third part experiential, as it is the collaborative effort of Masonic wives Philippa Faulks (who you may remember from her appearance on Masonic Central) and Cheryl Skidmore.  Together, the two have close to 30 years experience in the enjoyable trade of being the wives of Freemasons.  And, from that experience, nearly every nuance to the fraternity gets touched upon to put the ideal reader (the wife of a Freemason) at ease.

The book, in its simplicity, makes the hard task of explaining what exactly we Masons do, in and out of the lodge, that much easier.  I found that the short description of the history, the quick trip through the emblems, and the overview of events and banquets were smart and to the point.

On top of all that, in between the meatier content is a good collection of Masonic poetry, songs, trivia, and to top it off, one of the funnier Masonic jokes I’ve heard in a while.

A Handbook for The Freemason’s Wife really is a must have for the Masons spouse.  Its already answered a few of my wife’s questions, and I’ve only left it out for her to find a couple of times.  Imagine what would happen if you put it in her hands…

The handbook comes from Lewis Masonic, and if you’re the U.S. side of the pond, you can find it at Amazon.

Masonic Central Podcast

Philippa Faulks

The Masonic Magician bu Philipa Faulks

In this episode, recorded on November 30, 2008, Dean and Greg are joined by Philippa Faulks nee Lee. Philippa, or Pip as we came to know her, talked about her research and work on the book on the Masonic Magician Count Cagliostro. Pip along with Robert L. D.  Cooper, is the the authors of “The Masonic Magician: The Life and Death of Count Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite

This was one of those fun and fascinating conversations that explores Masonic history and pseudo history, high crimes and high magic, at least as far as the count is concerned. Was he a charlatan, criminal or a genius?

This episode was a special one for us as our guest joined us from across the Atlantic to dig into this unique character out of the mists of the masonic past.

Some of areas we touch on in the show include:

  • The Egyptian Rites
  • Alchemy
  • The Hermetic Rites in Freemasonry
  • Crossing the Catholic Church

This episode was a special one for us as our guest joined us from across the Atlantic to dig into this unique character from out of the mists of the masonic past.

Philippa Faulks, nee Lee, has gone on to write:

  • A Handbook for the Freemason’s Wife
  • Henna Magic: Crafting Charms & Rituals with Sacred Body Art
  • Gateways to Health: Secrets of Meditation: Simple Techniques for Achieving Harmony
  • Secrets of Meditation: Simple Techniques for Achieving Harmony.

More on the web at: https://philippa-lee.com/

Masonic Central Podcast

Timothy Hogan: Alchemical Keys to Masonic Ritual

Masonic Central podcast

Join Greg and Dean in this episode of the Masonic Central podcast, originally recorded on November 16, 2008, as the talk with to Brother Timothy Hogan about his book The Alchemical Keys To Masonic Ritual. It was an enlightening conversation on alchemy, ritual, and the “secrets” of Freemasonry.

In His work, Timothy has found several special connections from antiquity that correspond to more than a few aspects of Freemasonry. Do they connect the modern fraternity to the ancient path? We talk about those answers as Hogan explored them in his book, The Alchemical Keys To Masonic Ritual.

In the episode we dig into:

  • Freemasonry and Alchemy
  • The Mystery Schools of antiquity
  • Hermes Trismegistus
  • The Morgan Affair
  • And, of course, alchemy!


Timothy Hogan is a great listen. He’s passionate about Freemasonry and well versed at conveying complex ideas in an understandable manner.

More on Timothy hogan: